I like a longer course that has open fairways and puts more emphasis on the second shot, but at the same time throws in a driveable par 4. I also like a courses that have a lot of water if i'm playing for money; seems to get in other peoples head more than mine lol

1 - Design. Is the course layout challenging yet fair to all levels of players? Are the fairways reasonable, the rough segregated in character from less to more penal, the hazards intelligently placed to challenge various skill levels? Are the greens contoured and pins placed to truly facilitate two well struck putts?

2 - Maintenance. Is every aspect of the grounds maintained as designed? Greens receptive and smooth? Bunkers well defined and sand well drained and of proper granularity? First cut rough intermediate from fairway to native grass? Trees strategically placed and properly trimmed? Lateral hazards and OOB marked? Fairways cut tight and firm? Landing areas given special attention to preserve playability? Tees reasonably placed and groomed where called for (where divots may occur... tees that often get strokes off the deck) repaired?

3 - Congeniality. Courtesy and respect encouraged of staff and guests! Respect the game, the staff, the players, and the grounds!

I played a course like this when I started as a teen. I play one now. Well designed, excellently maintained, fine staff and a great bunch of folks to share with!

For me... it's almost exclusively price :) I can enjoy any course as long as I can find a course I can afford, and that I can somehow find a ride to the course. Unfortunately I'm quite limited. The courses I can afford tend to not be so well maintained, so i've gotten used to that. It's ok.

Outside of that, I very much like a course that requires shaping. That's definitely fun for me.

The course I play the most isn't much but the people there are great to play with, have some outstanding golfers, and not a snob in the bunch. When I first started playing there my son came to visit and when we reached the 3rd tee box the best two golfers that play there were on the first green so they came over to say hello and ask us if we wanted to join them, so we did. After the round my son said "Those guys are nice guys to be as good as they are". That is unfortunately not the case at all courses.

Second on my list is the condition of the greens. I don't like seeing putts that are started off of the intended line bounce around and go in the hole. Then it almost comes down to who is the luckiest instead of who is the best.

Yeah, all of this. And specifically regarding the varied hole design ... I really like it when courses have 4 different length par 3's. I played a pretty nice course a few weeks back, however, every par 3 was an 8 iron. That was kind of dull. My brothers CC, on the other hand, has a 120, 210, 165, and 180. This is a lot more fun to me.

* I don't like a course where the water hazards aren't considerate of the average golfer. There is a course near me where the tee shot must be 210 straight to get to the fairway. If I hit a good drive, it's no problem but I've lost many balls by pulling it slightly left of slicing.

* I don't like holes that have a blind shot. Another course near me has a cow bell to ring when you are finished with your approach shot to the green so the players behind you can hit their tee shot.

* I don't like a course where the water hazards aren't considerate of the average golfer. There is a course near me where the tee shot must be 210 straight to get to the fairway. If I hit a good drive, it's no problem but I've lost many balls by pulling it slightly left of slicing.

* I don't like holes that have a blind shot. Another course near me has a cow bell to ring when you are finished with your approach shot to the green so the players behind you can hit their tee shot.

Maybe I'm a curmudgeon though.

You just described two courses here in Knoxville. Gotta love the cowbell.

I like distance variety. We have a course by us that isn't very long in terms of the entire course, but a lot of the par 4s are over 400 yards and the par 3s are like 110. It is frustrating, you have to hit a nice drive on every par 4 to score, but the par 3s end up feeling all the same by the end of the round.

I also like courses that don't try to be more than they are. An example is fairway bunkers on low cost courses. Because the greens fees are less expensive, the course can't afford to maintain the sand in those bunkers, so they end up being rock hard, or they don't drain properly, etc.

Course conditions are #1 to me now. I used to base it upon price but have come find that the very inexpensive courses will do anything for a $$ that affects my enjoyment. That means they will be open when it's too wet thus carts making ruts and greens getting trashed by ball marks. It also tends to have less courteous players that are slow or hitting into your fairway, tee box, etc....gets old. All that makes for poor course conditions all year. My course still isn't open even though all others around here are. I bet they got trashed this weekend with the warm weather and everyone eager to get out.

Like others have said, I like a variety of hole styles not just cookie cutter 150yrd par 3s, 360yrd par 4's all parallel to each other. Mix it up and keep it challenging. I like to use every club in my bag on a course. Heck, I even like the long par 4s that in the wind it takes me driver, 3w to get on. That's a very satisying par.

Out of pure vanity, I hate courses with low slope ratings that play hard. Just because a course is 6000yrd doesn't mean it's an easy 68.7/118. Talk about a handicap killer....LOL. Those postage stamp size greens tucked into all kinds of trouble and narrow fairways with mature trees are way tougher to me than a 73/140 course that's 6700yrd with wider fairways and large greens.

I want a course with dress codes that are enforced and marshalls keeping an eye on things. Not that I'm a snob, but it just makes for a nicer experience when people dress for golf. Kohls, TJ Max and Gordmans can all outfit anyone with a nice looking golf shirt and pair of shorts(non cargo) for $50.

Fairness, i've played a few Pete Dye courses, and i found that half of them are just unfair, the other half are really fun to play. I don't like Nicholaus courses, he puts to much emphasis on placing the ball in the fairway, that's not good for amateurs.

So for me, fairness is one, i don't like penalizing good shots. Course condition is a must, especially the greens. I also have a think for inconistant bunkers, if they are heavy sand make all the bunkers heavy sand, if you have little sand, make all of them little sand. I can enjoy any course if its meets those three things. Some courses look better to me, some don't, but i just like playing golf.

This is so true. At my club, the lady in charge of hiring looks like Cruella Deville. So she hires girls to work in the bar and on the cart that look as ugly as her. This is one thing all of my guests ask me about, "why is their no cute cart girl?"

1. With a clever layout. Where maybe you need to hit it X distance, but not Y distance - unless you are going for it.

2. That are priced reasonably.

I don't like courses:

1. With too much OB - like both sides of a hole and behind it. Too much.

2. With lots of blind shots. I know it is hard to do that at times with hilly regions, but it is tough to play if you don't know what you should be trying to do. Course should be pretty playable the first time you play it.